House Republican Press Release

January 14, 2009

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Frey Offers Way to Ease Deficit

Democrats Add More Spending In Fiscal Crisis

Minority Whip Rep. John Frey, of Ridgefield said that the additional $250,000 provision showed the Democrats are not yet sincere about seriously eliminating the state’s projected $6 billion over the next two years.

"I am concerned that the legislature doesn't seem to be acting with any sense of urgency," said Rep. Frey.   "We may soon have to deal with a current year deficit approaching $1 billion, yet there has been no attempt to make any real cuts in spending.  My concern is twofold -- the clock will run out and the rainy day fund will be depleted in this first year of the downtown and that the legislature will turn to raising taxes instead of making the hard choices to reduce the size of a government we can no longer afford"  he added.

Republicans voted against the Democratic final proposal because it did not go far enough. The Republicans proposed:

· Cutting their own pay by 5 percent;

· Delay an $87 million salary increase package for corrections officers until a budget is in place;

· Restoring $54 million in cuts Democrats eliminated from Gov. Rell’s budget

· Delay or eliminate local mandates such as costly in-school suspension and treat juvenile offenders as adults which police departments support.

Rep. Frey noted that the majority party caucus is still unwilling to even reduce their own budgets within the legislature and are prepared to allow the union contracts to become law without having anyway to pay for it.

“Proposing new spending plans in what is supposed to be a deficit mitigation plan is a shell game of the greatest magnitude. Thousands of Connecticut residents have lost their jobs in recent months and families across our state are struggling to make ends meet.  It cuts across all income spectrums. They can’t afford to pay these raises,” concluded Frey.